


Hate Crime

by SpencerRemyLvr



Category: Criminal Minds, X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: Aftermath of Violence, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Friendship, Hate Crimes, Homophobia, Injury Recovery, M/M, Team as Family, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-27
Updated: 2014-09-04
Packaged: 2018-02-15 01:24:59
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,107
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2210433
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpencerRemyLvr/pseuds/SpencerRemyLvr
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"What hurts is not being homosexual, but they tell it in your face as if you were a plague." – Chavela Vargas.</p><p>Spencer is a victim of a violent hate crime that leaves his friends and loved ones reeling.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I’m writing this in honor of a very dear friend who just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time the other night and who is still sitting in ICU today just because some people saw he and I and thought they’d ‘teach the little fags a lesson’ and, in their alcohol induced state, went just a little too far. It was a sad and harsh reminder that society still has a long way to go in terms of acceptance.

Laughter bubbled up Spencer's throat. He wrapped his arms around his stomach and rocked back as he let out a laugh of pure joy. Seeing it had the young teen with him grinning. Sixteen year old Bailey watched as the man who was his mentor snorted and immediately tried to cover his mouth to smother it. Big brown eyes were lit up with humor as they looked over the top of his hand at Bailey. “You’re just kidding me, aren’t you?” Spencer demanded as he dropped his hand down.

Still grinning, Bailey shook his head. “Nope. Josh thought he was safe, but he should know better. All’s fair in love and practical joke wars.”

“You know he’s going to retaliate, don’t you? He’ll try to come up with something bigger and better than what you did.”

“Let him try; I’ll be ready for him.” Bailey winked.

Slowly the laughter faded away and Spencer comfortably folded himself back onto the low brick wall they were sitting on. Unlike Bailey, who was straddling the wall to better face Spencer, the genius had his legs crossed and was resting his arms on his knees. If he unfolded his feet, he’d be in the exact same position as Bailey was. Comfortable once more, he looked at Bailey and decided that he’d let things go long enough. They’d had their coffee and they’d been sitting on this wall in the park for a god half hour now just talking and laughing. Time to get to the bottom of things. “All right, Bailey. What’s up?”

Bailey’s eyebrows went up and his face took on a look of surprise that wasn’t completely believable. “What do you mean?”

“You know what I mean. You called me up and asked me out for coffee at seven o’clock at night, always a good indicator that you need to talk, and you’ve been tense and worried the entire time. You’ve got this little furrow between your brows that hasn’t completely gone away even when you were telling stories and laughing. You’ve also been biting your nails again, which you know is going to have Josh cursing you. So, I’ll repeat, what’s up?”

Bailey had dropped his head down midway through Spencer's speech. He peeked up through his bangs now, a wry sort of humor in those bright blue eyes. “How did I end up with the only mentor that’s a _profiler_?”

“Sheer dumb luck?”

That drew a small smile from the boy. It didn’t last, though. The smile faded and Spencer watched as Bailey started to scratch his middle fingernail against the pad of his thumb—a surefire sign of stress and nerves. Whatever this was, it was bothering him greatly. Spencer folded his hands in his lap and waited him out. He knew Bailey would speak up eventually.

It only took a minute before the teen started to talk. “My Dad came to visit.” Just those few words and Spencer wanted to sigh. He could see where this was going. He said nothing, though, and kept waiting. Bailey bit his lip and scratched harder at his thumb. “It’s been a month, so I thought maybe he was, y’know, maybe he was coming back to, to _try_. Mom told him he had to behave if he came in the house and he agreed.”

 _Oh, Bailey_. Inside, Spencer ached. On the outside he kept calm. “What happened?”

“He offered me help with getting my car.” Bailey offered up those words like they were something, yet the flatness of his tone told a different tale.

It wasn’t hard for Spencer to guess what came next. “In exchange for what?”

“Breaking up with Josh and forgetting this whole ‘gay phase’.” A shaky laugh broke from the aching teen. “That’s what he called it, a gay phase. An he offered me the car like it was somehow going to magically fix it all for him. Like a car is some cure for gayness that I’ve just never heard of before.” Blue eyes snapped up and they flashed with a mixture of hurt and temper. “I told him no car was worth enough to make me leave Josh and he just damn well better get used to that idea. Mom and him were still fighting about it when I left. Why the hell can’t he understand, Spencer? Why does he have to treat it like it’s some disease I have, or like it’s this rebellious thing I’m doing just to piss him off? Why does everyone have to treat it like it’s so wrong? How can they think it’s so bad?”

So many times over the years Spencer had heard different variations of that question. He’d been a part of the mentor program for gay teens ever since his first year in DC and he’d mentored ten boys over the years and spoken with countless others. Most of them had asked him some form of that question. Why don’t they understand? Why can’t my mother/father/brother/sister/family/friends accept who I am? Why do people have to treat me like I’m sick or like there’s something wrong with me? Difficult questions, those, and there was no cookie cutter answer that he could give. Spencer sighed and lifted a hand, pushing his hair back out of his face. “I wish there was a simple answer I could give you for that, Bail. The truth is, I don’t know. I could tell you facts and statistics about people who have been indoctrinated to believe that homosexuality is wrong or perverse, or I could quote bible passages that people use to show that it’s a sin. I could give you all the arguments that people use against homosexuality. But it won’t really make you feel better.” Reaching out, Spencer laid his hand on Bailey’s arm, giving it a small squeeze. “What you need to remember is that your father loves you, very much. He just doesn’t understand. And sometimes, the things that are unfamiliar to us, the things we don’t understand, can scare us and cause us to react negatively. Your father doesn’t understand this and it scares him. I know it’s hard, but all you can really do is give him time. He loves you; you know he does.”

“I know.” Bailey whispered. “It just hurts, y’know? I just want him to accept who I am and realize I’m not gonna change.”

“Maybe he will one day. He’s never directly insulted you, never put you down. He hasn’t disowned you. I know that his bribes and pleas to change are hard to handle, but you’re doing great with it. Maybe one day he’ll come around.” Spencer slid his hand down and felt Bailey twist his hand enough that their palms connected. He brought his other hand out and cupped Bailey’s between his, holding it and giving it a reassuring squeeze. Touch wasn’t his best form of communication but Bailey was extremely tactile and he always got through these moments better with a hand to hold. Spencer kept his grip on Bailey’s hand and gave him a small smile. “Give him a bit of time, Bailey. He’s only known for a month. I know it’s hard, but be a little patient.”

“Well, well, well, lookee what we got here, boys? A couple of fags.”

The dry, drawling voice had both Spencer and Bailey looking up quickly. Spencer felt Bailey tense beside him. There was a group of men on the sidewalk nearby, slowly making their way over towards them. Spencer counted six. One look told him these guys had already been drinking even though it was only just shy of eight at night. Their body language was enough to have Spencer tensing even more. He’d seen that kind of body language before.

Spencer pushed up to his feet and felt Bailey do the same thing. Letting go of the teen’s hand, he carefully placed himself in front of Bailey. “If I say run, you run.” He murmured to him. Then he turned his head to face the group once more. Spencer held his hands out in a peaceful gesture. “We want no trouble, gentlemen. My friend and I were just getting ready to leave.”

“Aw, aint that cute, boys.” The same man said, looking around at his friends who were all grinning at him. “He don’t want no trouble.”

“Maybe he and his little fag lover shouldn’t have come outside, then.” One of the others called out.

Bailey was growing more and more tense behind Spencer. He’d lifted one hand, resting it between Spencer's shoulder blades, and there was a small quiver in it that Spencer could lightly feel. His own fear felt like a hard ball in his stomach. “We’ll just be on our way, then, and you gentlemen can go back to enjoying your night. Nothing has to happen here.” Spencer took a small step back, nudging Bailey back. He felt as Bailey bumped the wall and he nudged him again, encouraging him to step over it. The six men had gotten even closer and Spencer knew the window was closing here.

One of the men stepped forward a little and grinned at Spencer. “Oh, I think there’s plenty that’s gonna happen, here.”

They weren’t just going to back off. They were too pumped, the alcohol in their system giving them bravery and daring that they might not usually have, and Spencer knew he had to get Bailey the hell out of there. There was no one else in the park at the moment and they’d stupidly chosen this area just for its seclusion. That was something that they were paying for, now. But if he could get Bailey around the corner, Spencer's car was over in the parking lot and they could get the hell out of here. He just needed to get the teen there by any means necessary. Angling his hips so his movement was hidden, Spencer reached down into his pocket and drew out his keys. He passed them back to Bailey, who hesitated briefly before taking them.

Then all time to think was done. One of the guys sneered at Spencer and spat out “Fucking freaks like you need to be taught a lesson, out here corrupting kids like this. Fucking pervert.” Then he stepped forward, one hand reaching out, and Spencer spun, snapping out “Run!” to Bailey. Thank God, the teen shot off, racing away. Spencer tried to follow him, got over the low wall and a single step away, but a hand caught at the back of his shirt and he found himself yanked backwards. The back of his knees hit the wall and his legs were knocked out from under him so that he ended up flying back and landing on his backside on the ground right in the middle of the men.

None of Spencer's training or experience made him fast enough to dodge that first kick that stole his breath away. A hand fisted in his hair, dragging him upright, and he fought to get his breath back enough to fight, to defend himself, knowing even as he balled up his fist and threw his first punch that it wasn’t going to be enough. At least Bailey had gotten away. He held on to that as the blows started to fall. At least Bailey was safe.

CXCX

It took twenty minutes for two police officers to arrive at the park with Bailey and another ten minutes before they found him. What they found was something that Bailey knew would haunt his nightmares for a long time to come. At first he couldn’t even tell it was him. Spencer was lying in a heap on the ground against the same brick wall they’d been sitting at before, only a few feet away from that spot. He’d been stripped of all his clothes except for his boxers. There was so much blood on him and on the ground around him that, for a moment, Bailey was terrified he was dead. The only signs of life were the small tremors that seemed to run down the man’s slender frame. Seeing those broke Bailey’s momentary paralysis and he tried to launch forward, only to be caught by one of the officers.

“Stay back, son.” The man said carefully, holding on to Bailey and drawing him backwards while his partner went forward and dropped down beside Spencer. Bailey heard the other officer calling this in, requesting an ambulance, and Bailey could only stand there and watch as the man reached out to check for a pulse.

The pained cry that Spencer gave had Bailey renewing his struggles to get free. “Let me go!” He snapped out at the officer, eyes locked on Spencer, who was weakly trying to scoot back away from the touch and was only succeeding in making himself hurt more. “Let me go to him, please!”

But the officer kept him back. He kept Bailey back and out of the way as backup arrived and even as the paramedics arrived. He drew Bailey further away and sat him down on the wall, hands on his shoulders to keep him there. “Son.” He called, trying to draw Bailey’s attention away from Spencer. “Son! Your friend is getting the best help he can right now. There’s nothing you can do but get in the way of the medics. Right now I need you to focus here on me. I need you to tell us what happened so that we can try and find the people that did this. Can you do that for me?”

Bailey watched as Spencer was lifted carefully onto the gurney. He saw the limp form lying there and his stomach turned over. As the gurney rose up, the light fell over Spencer's body and the dark spots on Spencer's skin that Bailey hadn’t been able to see before became suddenly clear. Bile rose up his throat. Underneath the blood and bruises and other things, the words _QUEER_ and _FAG_ had been written in big block letters with what looked like permanent marker.

That was just one thing too many. The stress of the night finally caught up with Bailey and he twisted himself in just enough time to empty his stomach on the other side of the wall.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Thank y'all so much for all your best wishes and such. I appreciate it. My friend is doing better and he's going to be moved out of the ICU and into a regular room today. :)
> 
> Okay, two points I want to make. One - this story is fiction and the injuries in here are NOT the injuries myself or my friend obtained. I, of course, made things worse for Spencer, though I did draw off a past experience a friend of mine had, and I used it a bit as some help for this. But even so, the injuries/treatments in here are totally Google informed. Which leads me to point number two - I am NOT a doctor. I don't even play one on TV. So, my lovelies, bear with me if the medical isn't perfect, m'kay? Merci!

Two hours later found the waiting room at George Washington University Hospital packed full of people. If Spencer had been there to see it, it would’ve both warmed and broke his heart all at the same time. It would’ve warmed it to see just how many people were there for him, how many were waiting anxiously for news. Yet it would’ve broken it to see the pain that they were in.

Bailey sat in one corner with his mother on one side and, surprisingly, his father on the other. Any troubles set in that family were forgotten in this moment as they sat with their son while he waited on news of someone very important to him. Even his father, who didn’t approve of his friendship with Spencer, was nothing but supportive, keeping a protective arm around his boy as if somehow he could protect him now from anything more happening to him. As if he could shelter the man who had once been his little boy.

Off on the other side of the room sat the entirety of the BAU team. JJ was seated in a chair in the corner, speaking lowly on her phone to Will, telling him that they still had no news. Beside her was Emily, who was picking at her fingers absently, her eyes on the floor yet with a distant look to them. Dave sat with one leg crossed over the other, staring off into space, locking into his own thoughts. Over by the window, Aaron was much the same, staring out at the dark night.

Penelope and Derek sat side by side, their shoulders brushing together in silent support. Penelope had her knitting out and though her hands shook, she kept on knitting, needing to have something to do with her hands as the minutes ticked by and turned into hours. Derek had his arms resting on his knees and his hands clenched together between them. Occasionally he would drop his head down, running his hands over the smooth skin of his head, wondering why the hell someone would want to hurt Spencer of all people. How could someone hate so much that they could do something like _that_?

They’d heard the reports from the police officers already. What they’d been told had been enough to shake them all. The officers had said that Spencer had been severely beaten and had been barely conscious when the two offices arrived on scene. They’d found him in only his boxers, his clothes ripped and laying in the grass not that far away from him. Both he and his clothes, the officers told them, had been urinated on. They’d told them that there were offensive slurs written on his arms, his chest, his back, even his face. Hearing that had been the limit for Penelope. She hadn’t been able to stand there and listen to it anymore. Bad enough that these people had beaten him so horribly, but they’d had to humiliate him, too, marking him for all to see. It was just too much.

The doors leading to the back opened and every head in the room lifted as each person went on alert. They all slumped back down when they saw the doctor go to the only person in the room that _wasn’t_ here for Spencer.

Waiting was its own form of torture. It allowed the mind too long to think and wonder and worry. Worry about just how badly these people had managed to damage their friend. Worry about the fact that Spencer had been in surgery for hours now and no one had come out to tell them anything yet. Any requests at the nurses’ station only earned them a “We’ll let you know as soon as we know anything new.”

For Bailey, the waiting allowed time for the guilt to build. It let the ‘what ifs’ and ‘maybes’ build in his mind until he felt like he’d be sick once more. He wrapped his arms around his waist and held on in the hopes that maybe the world would steady around him again. Maybe, if he closed his eyes and wished hard enough, he’d find out the whole night was one great big nightmare. He’d be at home in his bed instead of here in a hospital waiting room praying that someone very important to him wasn’t going to die.

To try and distract himself from the voice in his mind that whispered that this never would’ve happened if he hadn’t called Spencer to come meet him, Bailey looked around the room at the people that he knew Spencer cared so much about and who he could see cared just as much. As he did, he realized that there were a few people missing, one person in particular. Before he could stop to think about his words, he asked “Has anyone called his life partner?”

Six heads lifted and turned towards him at almost the same time. It was slightly creepy and had Bailey sitting back just a little. “His _what_?” JJ asked with obvious surprise.

“His life partner.” Bailey repeated slowly. These guys knew about him, right? Spencer had said something about telling them. Had he not done it yet? It was too late to take the words back now and Bailey doubted it would matter. This was too important to worry about upsetting other people. _I’m sorry, Spencer_. “Someone needs to call Remy. He should be here.”

Only one person in the group seemed to know what Bailey was talking about. Derek Morgan sat up a little straighter and the surprise on his face grew. “He and Remy got together?”

“I’m sorry, thought he’d told you already.” Bailey bit his lip and scratched absently at the pad of his thumb. He felt his Dad’s arm tighten around him briefly but his parents said nothing. Brushing some of his blond hair behind his ear, he blew out a shaky breath. “I knew he was planning to. They got together like, a month ago, I think. Spencer told me he didn’t want to just blurt it out to you guys. That it felt kind of special, you know? So he was planning this big barbeque for everyone and he was going to tell you guys then.” He looked down at his lap and then back to the BAU team. “He said telling friends is easy, but telling family about something like this requires a little extra attention and a touch of ceremony.”

That effectively silenced any protests or complaints from anyone. JJ’s eyes looked suspiciously moist as she said “That sounds like Spence. He’s so formal about some things.”

“I’ll give Remy a call. I should’ve called him anyways.” Derek said. Even though he hadn’t known they were together, he’d heard about Remy plenty of times from Spencer and he knew the two were extremely close friends. They had been ever since Spencer was a child. Derek pushed up from his chair and pulled out his cell phone as he made his way over to a more private spot to make the call.

That little bit of conversation seemed to have broken the silence that was sitting over the waiting room. “I can’t believe I never even knew Reid was gay.” Emily said softly. She didn’t sound upset, just surprised.

“He’s not gay.” Penelope said immediately. Everyone looked at her and she smiled faintly at them. “I made the mistake of saying the same thing you just did when I ran into him during a pride parade. He told me that he’s not overly fond of labels, but that he doesn’t identify as ‘gay’ or ‘bisexual’. He said that, if he had to have a label, then the most accurate one would be pansexual because gender and sex aren’t what makes him attracted to someone.”

Derek’s call had finished quickly. He was already on his way back over as Penelope finished her statement. As he took his seat beside her once more, he added on “I asked him once why he never told us and he said he just figured we all knew. He didn’t think he had to make some big announcement about his sexual preferences. He says he knew none of us would care anyways.”

“Now that definitely sounds like him.” Dave said with a smile.

Bailey’s mom, Tiffany, gave her son’s arm a gentle squeeze and then looked around at the team. “Spencer's a very lucky man to have such understanding friends.”

“How is it that you know him?” Aaron asked curiously.

“He’s my mentor.” Bailey answered. He looked at them and he could see more than a few blank looks. They had no idea what he was talking about. Didn’t they know? Ignoring the tension in his Dad, Bailey explained “I’m part of a sort of big brother program. Spencer, he’s my mentor. I got hooked up with him through the GLA at my school.”

JJ tipped her head and gave him a curious look. “GLA?”

Hadn’t these guys ever heard of it? He’d figured they would know, being feds and all. And being Spencer's friends, didn’t they know all this? “Gay and lesbian alliance. There’s a mentorship program through the local community center and they send someone out to local schools so people can know what they offer and can sign up for a mentor. I got Spencer. He’s been my mentor for about five months now and he’s really helped me out.” Unable to help himself, Bailey looked at Derek and asked the question that was nagging at him. “Did you get a hold of Remy?”

“I did. He’s on his way now.” Derek reassured him. His expression clouded over slightly. “Hopefully we’ll know something by the time he gets here."

Those somber words had a sobering effect on the room. Once more everyone fell silent as their minds turned fully back to their friend.

CXCX

It wasn’t much later that the doors nearby opened once more. This time, the woman that came out made her way directly to the large group waiting. She looked around at them all. “Spencer Reid?”

“That’s us.” Derek said, pushing to his feet. Everyone else rose with him.

The woman gave a look of surprise at the sheer amount of people that were here. She looked around at them all and her eyebrows furrowed down. “Are any of you a…” she looked down and checked the chart in her hands. “…Remy LeBeau?”

Aaron stepped to the front and drew her attention to him. “We’ve called him and he’s on his way here. I’m SSA Aaron Hotchner and the man you have back there is one of my agents. How is he?”

“I’m Zoe and I’m the doctor that operated on your agent.” She introduced herself. “He’s suffered quite an extensive list of injuries, Agent Hotchner.” She pulled the cap off her head and let out a sigh. “It’ll be easier and take less time if I summarize this as best as possible. But, bear with me, as this list may take a moment.” She warned them.

Her words had a very sobering effect. More than a few hands were gripped tightly as everyone watched her and waited for whatever she had to say. Zoe took a deep breath and prepared herself to do the part of the job that no doctor enjoys. “I’m going to start with the easiest injuries to list; the breaks. Dr. Reid has a spiral fracture on his right arm and his left wrist was sprained while that shoulder was also dislocated. He’s got two broken ribs, a broken nose, and his left foot was broken as well. The worst of the breaks was in the femoral shaft on his right leg. We had to insert a metal rod down the center of the thigh bone called an intramedullary rod. This procedure reconnects the two ends of the bone, and the rod is secured in place with screws both above and below the fracture. The intramedullary rod generally remains in the bone for the life of the patient, but can be removed if it causes pain or other problems.” She saw their worried looks and held up a hand. “I know that sounds like quite a lot, but the breaks themselves were easy to repair and I have confidence they’ll all heal well. It’ll just take a little while. It wasn’t the breaks that worried us the most. What worried us was the internal bleeding. That was what took so long. When he came in, he was suffering from massive internal bleeding. We got everything patched up, but he lost a lot of blood that we’ve got to work on replacing now.”

“Oh, God.” Penelope breathed out. She had a hand pressed against her stomach like she was going to be sick, but she didn’t leave. She stayed there and waited for what more was to come.

“He took a rather serious blow to the head. There was some swelling and pressure that we had to relieve. I’m confident there’ll be no lasting damage, but we can’t be positive until he wakes up. We’ve got him on a ventilator right now. As of this moment, he’s not breathing on his own. And none of that even begins to cover the amount of bruising that covers him. I’m going to be blunt with you, agents. The next twenty four hours are critical. At the moment things could go either way. But he’s young and he’s in good health and that gives him a good chance. Make no mistake, though. He’s going to have a long recovery ahead of him. He’s going to have some time spent in a wheelchair and there’s going to be plenty of rehab in his future. But if we can get him through the next twenty four hours, I’m very optimistic for a full recovery.”

A stunned silence had fallen over those listening at the high list of injuries that Spencer had sustained. The BAU team was horrified by what they heard, yet they knew better than most just how lucky Spencer really was and just how much worse this could’ve been. A group of drunken men can cause serious damage, especially against someone as slender as Spencer. He was very lucky that he was still alive and they were determined that he would stay that way.

Zoe could see that she’d given them quite a lot to process right now. Her voice gentled slightly with the compassion that made her a good doctor. “He’s being settled into the ICU now. Once he’s settled into his room, you’ll be able to see him. No more than two visitors to the room at a time. We’ve a private waiting room just down the hall that the rest of you can stay in. I’ll have one of the nurses show you where to go. And, agents? Prepare yourselves. The first look is always the hardest.”

CXCX

Nothing she said could’ve prepared them for the sight that met them. Derek and JJ went first, two of the adults here that were closest to Spencer. Bailey wanted to go in immediately but a look shared between his parents and the agents prevented that. Better that they go in and see just how bad Spencer was, how he looked, before letting Bailey in. The profilers could easily see just how guilty Bailey felt already. There was no telling how he might react to whatever Spencer looked like. They wanted to be able to prepare him in case it was bad. One look at him told them there was no preparing for it.

A soft gasp slipped from JJ and she brought a hand up to cover her mouth. Red rimmed eyes were locked on the slender figure lying so still in that hospital bed. Derek could only stare, mouth open. Was that…could that really be Spencer lying there? It seemed impossible. The blanket lying over him hid everything from the armpits down but from there up was bad enough to see. There was just a faint hint of the writing left out on his arms, barely there but still noticeable. Derek could make out the word freak through the bruising, half hidden by the cast that was over the kid’s arm. The cast ran from palm, opening up for his thumb, down almost to his elbow. On his other wrist was a brace, presumably for the sprain, Derek assumed. The gown they’d put him in hid his chest and shoulders, though there was a faint hint of bruising peeking out, but it was from the neck up that was the hardest to see.

Definite bruises stood out around Spencer's neck. It looked like someone had tried to choke him. His face—his face was a mess of bruising. Most of it could probably be attributed to the broken nose. It was swollen and the bruising spread out to his eyes. Derek had seen that before. There was no way of telling if the bruises on his eyes were from being hit there or from the nose. Not that it really mattered. The left half of Spencer's face had some gauze on it that hid something from view. A cut? Scrapes? They didn’t know. He had the ventilator in, as they’d been warned. What got to JJ, as strange as it may seem, was the hair. She looked at Spencer's head and couldn’t help but comment. “They shaved off part of his hair.”

“They probably had to shave a patch to fix up his head.” Derek said lowly.

JJ took a careful step forward, moving almost hesitantly up to the side of the bed. When she got there, she lifted a shaky hand and brushed it ever so lightly against Spencer's remaining hair. He didn’t make a sound. He just laid there, the machines beeping in the background, looking for all the world like he was asleep. “They should’ve at least cut it all. He looks, uneven. He’d hate it.”

“We’ll make sure we get it fixed for him.”

“God, Morgan.” JJ stroked at Spencer's hair, unable to keep from touching him a little more, reassuring herself that he really was there. That he was alive. “They better find the bastards that did this to him. How could anyone do something like this?”

Derek stood beside her and looked down at his best friend, a kid he had taken under his wing so many years ago who had grown up to be one hell of a man. “Hate makes people do crazy things.” He murmured. Too many times he’d seen it. Not just in the job, but in his life. People who still believed that skin color was important, who thought there was something wrong with a black man and a white woman having a relationship. He’d heard that kind of prejudice and hatred his whole life and he still didn’t understand it. To see it turned against Spencer this way, someone who accepted everyone for who they were no matter what, was gut wrenching. “We’ll get em, though.” He promised, not quite sure who he was making the promise to. Himself? JJ? Spencer? Maybe all three. “We’ll get em.”


	3. Chapter 3

The arrival of Remy LeBeau was done in true Remy fashion. There was nothing quiet or subdued about the man—and that included his entrances. If Spencer had been awake to witness it, he would’ve surprised his friends by simply shaking his head and smiling. He was far too used to Remy’s over-the-top nature to be bothered by it anymore. It was one of the many ways that he thought they complimented one another. While Spencer didn’t personally handle nor express strong emotions well, his best friend and life partner was the exact opposite. Remy did everything big and loud and that included emotions.

The ICU was currently on extra tight security with Spencer's presence there. Him being an FBI agent, one that had been attacked, and his attackers still at large, they were taking no chances with him. Hospital security had been beefed up and there were agents assigned to the ICU to stand guard. When Remy and a friend came barging through the doors into the ICU they had six security guards trailing him and the two agents stationed near the desk immediately started forward at the sight. The BAU team rose to their feet as well and quite a few hands went to their guns, all except for Derek, who recognized the Cajun, though he didn’t recognize the man with him. They all heard one of the security officers saying “Sir, you need to stop, now. We told you, all guests need to check in…”

Remy didn’t even miss a beat. He ignored the officers trailing behind him and when the two agents stepped out in front of them he lifted a finger and pointed it at them, snarling out “Don’t y’ dare even t’ink about getting in m’ way right about now, cause I guarantee y’ dat I’ll lay y’r ass out flat b’fore I let y’ stop me from getting to m’man.” And without even stopping, he looked beyond them and right over to Derek. “Would y’ call off y’r goon squad, Agent Morgan?”

Derek found that he couldn’t quite keep a smile from tugging at his lips. “You realize you could’ve just showed ID and they would’ve let you through?”

“Yeah, right.” Remy tipped his head and red and black eyes peered over top his sunglasses at them. There were more than a few of the security guards that stepped back and brought their hands to their guns at the sight of them. Remy snorted and pushed his sunglasses back up. “Exactly. I aint got time fo’ dat shit and I aint got time fo’ dis. Where’s Spencer?”

About an hour ago Aaron, Dave and Emily had headed back to the Bureau to deal with the brass there and to start their own work towards trying to find the people who had hurt Spencer. That left Penelope, JJ and Derek here to stay on guard and to keep the others updated. That meant that Derek was the one who was going to have to handle this.

Walking forward, Derek held a hand out towards the guards and agents, gesturing them down. “It’s fine.” He told them. “We’ve been expecting him. He’s fine.” He stopped right in front of Remy and looked at this man he’d only ever seen pictures of over the years. But he’d heard plenty enough about him to know just how important he was to Spencer. The look he wore now said clearer than words just how important Spencer was to him, too. “I’ll take you back to his room in just a minute. Why don’t you come sit down first and I’ll catch you up on what I know?

“I wanna see him.” Remy insisted sharply.

Derek nodded his understanding. “I know you do. But there are some things you should know before you go in there.”

The fear that flashed over Remy’s face was clear for anyone to see. He didn’t sit like suggested, though. He braced himself right there and stared right at Derek not even acknowledging the man who stepped up beside him and put a bracing hand on his arm. All of his attention was focused on Derek. “So start talking.”

This wasn’t something that Derek had ever wanted to have to do. He always hated this part of things when on the job. Delivering bad news to loved ones never got any easier. It was even harder now because this wasn’t some random stranger that he was talking about; this was someone closed to him, someone who was like family. Emotion made his voice just a little thicker than normal as he made himself tell Remy everything that the doctor had told them. He didn’t spare him any of it, didn’t leave out any details. Every bit of it he laid right out there in the open for him. He couldn’t help but flinch slightly as he listed the injuries. Remy, however, didn’t flinch at all. He grew stonier and stonier with each injury listed. By the time Derek was done, the man looked like a statue. He waited a beat to make sure Derek was done and then he said, in a voice both hard and cold, “I wanna see him. Now.”

“I’ll take you back there.” JJ offered. She’d moved up to Derek’s side while the man was talking and she gave Remy a slightly shaky smile now. “One of our friends, Penelope, she’s back there with Spence now. We haven’t left him alone since they let us in there a couple of hours ago.”

With JJ leading the way, Remy and his silent friend made their way down the hall. None of them said anything until they reached a door at the end of the hall. JJ stopped by the door and looked over to the man by Remy. “I’m sorry, but he’s only allowed two visitors at a time. You’ll have to wait right here.”

The man looked to Remy and waited for the soft nod before stepping back by the wall. “I’ll wait right here.”

Nodding, JJ looked back to Remy. “Brace yourself. It’s…he’s not easy to see, the first time.” With that final warning, she pushed open the door and gestured him inside.

Remy paid absolutely no attention to the woman who looked up from beside Spencer's bed. Everything in him was focused on the man lying so still, hooked up to all those machines. “ _Mon Dieu_.” The soft words slipped from him like a prayer. Unlike others who had come in here, Remy showed no hesitation in walking straight up to the bed and reaching out. Light fingers traced gently over Spencer's bruised features, trailing across his cheek, up and over his forehead. “Oh, _bébé_. Oh, look what dey did to y’. My po’ Spencer.”

“He’s been doing really well.” Penelope said softly. She was still sitting in her chair, which put her close to Spencer's knees. “Each hour that passes without trouble gives him a better chance, his doctor says. He’s holding on.”

“He’s a fighter.” Remy brushed a bit of Spencer's hair back. Bending, he pressed a careful kiss against his forehead, letting his lips linger for just a moment as he breathed out a prayer against his skin. The ache inside was threatening to rise up and swallow him whole. To see Spencer, his sweet Spencer, hurt this way, it ripped at him and left him hurting and angry and so many other things that he couldn’t even identify right now. The fear that had clawed at him ever since he’d gotten Derek’s phone call was now morphing into something else, something darker. Without looking up from Spencer's face, he asked “Did dey catch de _connards_ dat did dis?”

“Not yet.”

Remy bent one more time pressed their foreheads together as he whispered low words in French. When he pulled up, he paused long enough to kiss Spencer's forehead. “I’ll be right back.” He promised lowly. Then he straightened up. If anyone had been able to see his eyes, then, they would’ve recognized the danger brewing there. Those that knew him would’ve seen it in the deadly grace that showed in each step Remy took towards the door. He kept himself calm and in control all the way until he was outside of Spencer's room.

All it took was one look and his friend could see the fury written all over Remy. Logan had seen that look enough to know what it was and the danger it posed. He tried to reach out for Remy but he wasn’t quick enough. The Cajun slipped past him and set off at a run down the hall with Logan cursing and running right on his heels. The two hit the waiting room just seconds apart and Logan didn’t hesitate to call in reinforcements. “Stop him!” He snarled out at the room.

Though his words surprised those there, the agents on guard reacted with the speed their job had taught them, moving quickly to put themselves in Remy’s path. Derek was the one unfortunate enough to get right in front of Remy and only quick reflexes saved him from a fist to the face. That brief delay was just long enough for Logan to close that last bit of space. He caught Remy’s jacket and gave a great tug, yanking his friend backwards and wrapping him tightly in arms stronger than iron bands. Remy instantly started to fight to get free. “Let me go!” he snarled out.

“The hell with that.” Logan snapped back. He tightened his arms a little more and dodged the foot Remy sent backwards. He twisted to the side, tugging Remy towards a nearby open door that led to one of the more private waiting rooms. With one great big heave, he thrust himself and Remy in there, letting go of Remy the minute they were inside. Derek and JJ had followed behind them and they stepped inside as well, shutting the door and taking up post there, ready to help try and help.

Remy spun around furiously now that he was free of Logan’s grip. “Get de hell outta my way, Logan!”

“Yeah, that aint happening, Gumbo. Not till you calm your ass down.”

“Fuck dat and fuck y’!”

When Remy stepped forward, Logan put a hand to his chest and shoved him back a full step. The snarl Remy let out didn’t intimidate him at all. He stepped right up into Remy’s space and glared up at him, jabbing a finger into his chest. “You need to suck it up and cool your fucking jets here, Gumbo. Your boy doesn’t need you running out halfcocked and getting your ass in trouble. He needs you in there with him.”

“No, he needed me when dis happened!” Remy shouted back.

“Yeah, well, you weren’t there.” Logan said harshly, knowing that kind words weren’t what Remy needed right now. “And doing this aint gonna change that fact. Nothing will. All you can do is deal with the now. And right now your mate is down the hall in a hospital bed. He needs you there, with him, helping him be strong, not out getting your ass in trouble that he’s not there to get you out of. Or are you that selfish that you only care about making yourself and your ego feel better?”

Remy furiously smacked Logan’s hand away from his chest. “Fuck off!”

“Yeah, real great answer there, Rem. Real mature. Way to show me how adult you are.”

An inarticulate cry tore past Remy’s lips. He spun around and stalked away from Logan. The fist he slammed into the wall didn’t really surprise anyone watching, though JJ couldn’t help but flinch slightly at the damage he’d probably just done. Not to the wall but to his hand. Remy didn’t even seem to care. He curled and uncurled his hands repeatedly and fought not to keep punching until he burned out this all-consuming rage inside of him. “Did y’ see him in dere?” He demanded, spinning back towards Logan. He raised one hand and gestured off in the general direction of Spencer's room. “Did y’ see what dey did to him? Dey almost _killed_ him! An fo’ what? Cause he’s got a big enough heart dat he loves someone fo’ who dey are instead of what dey look like? Is dat really such a fucking crime?”

“I know, Rem.” In contrast to his earlier sharpness, Logan’s tone had lowered down to a comforting rumble that was surprisingly gentle.

“Y’ see, dis is why Remy aint no nice guy.” Remy said furiously. “Look at what it gets y’! Spencer's one of de nicest people I know and look what happens to him.”

Logan gave him a small smile. “You wouldn’t want him any other way, though. He counters out the asshole in you.”

All at once Remy seemed to deflate. His shoulders slumped and he let out a deep sigh. “Yeah. Yeah he does.” One corner of Remy’s mouth quirked up and he tipped his head up once more, visibly gathering himself together. “An he’d probably say _merci_ fo’ y’ stepping in an keeping me from doing somet’ing stupid while he aint here to stop me.” That tiny little smile grew just the slightest bit. “I aint saying it, t’ough. I still say it’d be awfully satisfying to go find dem fuckers and kick de shit outta dem.” His gaze went over Logan’s shoulder to where Derek and JJ were still standing and Remy gave a small, respectful dip of his head towards JJ. “M’ apologies fo’ de language, ma’am.”

That random bit of old-fashioned manners surprised a smile out of JJ. “It’s fine. Trust me, I’ve heard worse over the years in this job.”

“I imagine y’ have, but it aint no excuse fo’ me. I was raised wit’ better manners dan dat.” Remy drew in a deep breath and once more wrapped himself in the shield he’d perfected a long time ago. Any of his true pain or anger was hidden down underneath it once more. When he moved forward, he was calm and collected, every inch the gentlemen as he held out his hand to JJ. He took the hand she offered in return and bowed over it, pressing a kiss to her knuckles. “M’ apologies fo’ not introducing m’self properly b’fore. Remy LeBeau, at y’r service. An dis lug behind me is _mon ami_ , Logan.”

“Jennifer. But everyone just calls me JJ.” She said with a smile.

“Spencer talks about y’ often.” Remy told her, letting go of her hand. “He t’inks of y’ like family. All of y’.” His gaze lifted now to include Derek. “All of y’ mean a lot to him an I know he was looking fo’ward to introducing us. I just wish it could’ve been under better circumstances dan dis.”

Derek nodded his agreement. “Me too. I’ve heard plenty about you over the years.”

One of Logan’s hands closed over Remy’s shoulder and he gave him a squeeze. “Ready to go back down there now? Got your tantrum out of your system?”

It amused the two watching when Remy didn’t even bother to deny Logan’s words. He didn’t take offense to them, either. He actually nodded and agreed. “ _Oui_. All done, Logan. I’m ready to go sit wit’ him now.”

“Then let’s get you back there.”

CXCX

After that it was impossible to remove Remy from Spencer's room. None of Spencer's friends understood how it was that Remy managed to be able to stay in there. Each time a staff member went in there to remove him, they came back out alone while Remy stayed in the chair he’d brought up to Spencer's side. He’d put his chair on the side of Spencer without the machines and for all intents and purposes he’d set up camp there. His long body was folded into that chair and his whole attention was focused on his partner. He kept a hand on him in some way at all times. Whether it was touching his arm, his fingers, his side, he kept in contact with him.

It didn’t take profilers to read the love on Remy. It was right out there in the open for anyone to see—or hear. They learned quickly that Remy was a talker. He talked to Spencer, to any visitors that came in, to the staff that walked through. He talked to everyone. There were no repeats of his earlier tantrum. In fact, he seemed to have gone the total opposite. All signs of bad temper were gone and he was extremely friendly and charming. Even Aaron, who the team jokingly said hadn’t smiled in months, actually smiled slightly at the man when he stopped by and poked his head in. Spencer would’ve just shook his head if he’d known what was going on. Making friends had always been easy for Remy. He never had troubles talking to anyone, unlike Spencer, who had problems talking to most everyone.

But Spencer wasn’t awake to shake his head. He wasn’t awake at all. Despite the fact that he was doing well, his vitals improving with each passing hour—something that his doctor, Zoe, told Remy was a very positive sign—he had yet to wake up. He wasn’t being kept out my medicine, either. Zoe had suggested that to Remy, stating that Spencer's written preference to not take narcotics meant that he was going to be in a good deal of pain when he woke up and it might be a good idea to keep him sedated for a while to give his body time to adjust and heal. But Remy had vetoed that immediately. “He wouldn’t want dat.” He told her firmly. “He’s got strong opinions about what he calls de unnecessary use of medication. Y’ just let him be. We got our own pain management system we’ll use once he wakes up.”

All he needed now was for Spencer to wake up. As they passed into their twentieth hour since Spencer had come out of surgery, almost to the magical twenty four hour mark that Zoe had said they needed to reach, Remy found himself praying more fervently than he had in years, begging God to let Spencer wake up, to let him just open those eyes. If he just opened his eyes, if Remy could see those beautiful brown eyes once more time, he might finally be able to relax and get rid of this solid ball of fear that had lodged in his chest and had taken away his ability to breathe properly. “C’mon, Spencer.” He bent his head and pressed a kiss against the bruised skin of Spencer's arm. “Fight, cher. Y’r so much stronger dan dis. An I’m right here to help y’. Y’ aint gonna fight dis alone. Just fight.”


	4. Chapter 4

The twenty four hour mark came and went for Spencer and those around him celebrated the passage of time. He’d made it through the most dangerous time. His chances of survival had just tripled. His body was doing well, Dr. Zoe told them, and she was confident that soon he would be able to breathe on his own, without the ventilator. The only thing that still worried any of his friends, and Remy especially, was that Spencer had yet to wake. He lay there so still and silent. For Remy, that was harder to see than anything else. The Spencer he knew was never still or silent. Some part of him was always moving in some way or another.

“It’s not unexpected.” Dr. Zoe told him when he expressed his concern. “His body’s gone through a serious trauma. It needs time to rest and start to recover. All of his tests are coming back better and better and he’s showing no signs of distress and no signs of damage. Just give him a little time.”

In the meantime, though he wasn’t awake, the rest of Spencer's vitals were improving enough that Zoe felt confident in moving him out of the ICU and into a more private room, which Aaron had requested. A private room made it much easier to keep watch on him and keep him safe. The people who had done this still hadn’t been caught and there was no telling if they might try to come back and finish the job. They certainly had to realize by now that they were in serious trouble—it was all over the news. Despite JJ’s best attempts, they hadn’t been able to keep this completely out of the media. Luckily right now they’d managed to keep the hospital he was at private, as well as the fact that he was a federal agent. The only thing that was in the news at the moment was that there had been a violent gay bashing in the park. It wouldn’t take long, though. They’d find out. And once they did, all hell was going to break loose.

Remy sat in his chair in Spencer's private room and watched all of it play out on the news. More often than not, Penelope and Logan were in there with him. The others popped in and out as they tried to work Spencer's case. So it was to Penelope and Logan that Remy vented as he watched the news coverage. There was plenty to vent about, too. The news had showed footage of the park where Spencer had been hurt and they’d showed the things that people had put out, a sort of supportive shrine full of cards and well wishes, and they showed all the people who felt the need to come there and protest with their signs condemning gays. One reporter actually interviewed some of the people around the park. Some put out their support for the ‘unknown person’ who had been hurt, but it was the others that really set Remy off. He almost charged the remote in his hands when the man on the TV told the reporter that “…people like this, living this deviant lifestyle, get no more than they deserve…”

“How on earth can people actually believe that?” Penelope demanded. She was aghast at the things that people had to say. Despite having seen some of the worst things that human beings could do, it never failed to shock her.

Logan reached out and snatched the remote from Remy. He scowled at the man, letting him know he’d smelled the charge threatening to build, and he pressed the power button to shut the TV off. “People like that aint worth listening to. They’ll protest anything that doesn’t fit into their narrow view of the world.” He growled.

“I’ll never understand it.” Penelope sighed and turned to look at Spencer. “It just doesn’t make any sense to me that someone could have so much hate for someone they don’t even know.”

The honesty in her words was astounding to the two cynical men watching on. Remy felt some of his own anger melt away as he looked at this woman and marveled at the strength and innocence that shone inside of her. Spencer had talked about her over the years, he’d talked about everyone he worked with, but Remy had never really understood just what Spencer meant when he said that Penelope was a light for them all at the BAU. He could see it now. “Y’r a rare gem, Penelope Garcia. I can see why Spencer likes y’ so much. He’s always said y’r a special one.”

Her face light with a warm smile that only made her even prettier. “Oh, well, thank you.” Her eyes drifted back to Spencer and her smile gentled a little. “He’s pretty special to all of us.”

“He’s a special kinda guy.” Remy agreed.

The sound of the door opening cut off anything else that might’ve been said. Three heads lifted and turned instantly to see who was coming in. Penelope was the only one to recognize the boy. She made a soft, pained sound and turned fully towards the door where Bailey stood as if frozen. The knitting she’d been working on dropped down to her lap. “Oh, honey, what are you doing here?”

The youth had been kept from seeing Spencer thus far, his parents deciding that they hadn’t wanted him to see Spencer in that condition after Derek and JJ had first come out of the room up in the ICU. But now that Spencer was in a private room, now that a full day and a half had passed, Bailey was here. He couldn’t wait any longer. His hands were shoved deep down in his pockets and his whole body was telegraphing his distress for anyone to see. But his eyes were locked completely on Spencer. They took in every inch of him that was showing. The bruising on his face, the bandages, the braces and casts, the tubes. He took in all of it and could only stand there and shudder.

Penelope was just starting to get to her feet when Remy beat her to it. He flowed up from his chair and moved across the room. “Y’ must be Bailey.” He said, drawing the teen’s attention away from the bed and up to him. Deliberately he moved to block Bailey’s view as he walked up to him and held out a hand. “I’ve heard plenty about y’ from himself over dere. I’m Remy.”

Another shudder ran down Bailey’s body. Haunted eyes lifted and in them Remy could see so much pain and so much guilt. It was right out there in the open like a raw and throbbing wound. “I know who you are.” Bailey’s voice was low and slightly scratchy as if it hadn’t been used much lately, or had been _over_ used. He looked down at Remy’s hand and then back up at his face. His own hands stayed clenched tightly in his pockets. Words bubbled up and poured out of him before he could stop them. Aching words that had been trapped inside of him ever since this had happened. “I’m so sorry.” He blurted out quickly. “If it wasn’t for me, Spencer wouldn’t have been there. It’s my fault he was out there at all. He was coming to help me, and he sent me running to keep me safe. I’m so, so sorry.”

“Oh, petit, _non_.” Remy moved before anyone could blink and he caught the boy’s shoulder and yanked him in close. Then he wrapped his arms around him and held him like he was a small child, not a sixteen year old boy. “ _Non_ , Bailey, it aint y’r fault. Don’t y’ dare t’ink dat.”

Bailey surprised those watching by not pulling away but actually sinking into the hold. “He wouldn’t have been there if it wasn’t for me.”

“He was exactly where he wanted to be.” Pulling back. Remy put his hands on Bailey’s shoulders to hold him in place and he fixed him with a firm look. “Every boy dat Spencer's mentored has been very important to him and y’r no different, Bailey. Spencer cares a lot about y’. I know, he told me. If y’ needed him dat night, dere was nowhere else in de world he would’ve rather been den right dere fo’ y’, and he’d tell y’ de same t’ing if he was awake right now.”

“Yeah.” Bailey gave a weak little chuckle. “Yeah, he would.”

It wasn’t hard to see just how shaky Bailey still was. Remy took only a second to make his decision. There was no doubt in his mind what Spencer would want here. He’d want to make sure that Bailey was taken care of and that he wasn’t feeling guilty over this. Since he wasn’t there to do it, the job fell to Remy, and he wouldn’t let his partner down in this. But he also wasn’t going to leave Spencer unguarded. He turned around and looked to Logan, who was over by the bed watching them, and asked “Stay wit’ him fo’ me?”

“No problem.” Logan said. He deliberately sat down in the chair Remy had vacated and settled himself comfortably into it.

Perfect. Satisfied that his friend would stay with Spencer, the Cajun turned back to Bailey and slung an arm around his shoulder. “C’mon, petit. I aint had anyt’ing to eat fo’ a while. Why don’t we walk on down to de cafeteria an get ourselves a bit to eat, yeah? My treat. It’ll give us a chance to get to know one another.”

“I’d like that.” Bailey said softly.

“So tell me, how’d y’ and Spencer first get hooked up?” Remy asked as he started to lead the youth out of the room. The door shut behind them, cutting off any reply that Bailey gave, leaving Penelope and Logan shaking their heads and smiling.

CXCX

For a little over an hour Remy sat down in the cafeteria and talked with Bailey. They talked about a multitude of things. They talked about how Bailey and Spencer met through the program, how they’d built their friendship, about Remy and Spencer's relationship, about Bailey’s boyfriend, and of course they talked about that night. Hearing Bailey’s story had Remy seething inside. He kept his anger for those bastards under control, though. There was no point in letting it show here. Not with Bailey. The last thing he wanted was for the teen to think that he was angry at him. Bailey had done exactly what he should’ve done and exactly what Spencer wanted him to do. He’d gotten out of there and he’d gotten help. It would’ve devastated Spencer if Bailey had been hurt, too.

Eventually Bailey had to leave to get back home before his Mom realized he was gone too long. He’d lied about where he was going to; neither of his parents wanted him to see Spencer until he was doing better. They were afraid of what it might do to Bailey to see him that way. But they hadn’t understood that Bailey _needed_ to see him. Remy understood, though. Before letting Bailey go, he pulled the teen in for a hug and told him “Y’ come back on by anytime y’ want, petit.”

After that, Remy made a beeline straight back to Spencer's room, already having been away longer than he wanted. He was so focused on getting back to his partner that he didn’t even notice who else was in the room when he got there until it was too late. He was in the room and halfway to Spencer's bed when it finally connected in his head that Penelope was gone and JJ was there with a man Remy had sincerely hoped to avoid while he was here—Will LaMontagne Jr. JJ was talking with Logan but Will’s eyes had turned towards the door the instant it opened. Remy braced himself as he saw recognition hit in the man’s eyes. Then Will’s entire body went tense as he, too, braced himself. “You! What are you doing here?” he demanded.

Remy held his hands up peacefully. “I aint here to cause no trouble, detective. I’m just here fo’ Spencer.”

“What’s a LeBeau want with someone like Spencer? I know he’s not your pet.”

“ _Non_. Spencer's no one’s _pet_.” Remy’s lip curled up at the word. Keeping the peace was one thing; he didn’t have to take a ton of attitude to go with it. “We’re partner. Life partners. So mind how y’ talk about him, LaMontagne.”

Before things could progress any more, JJ moved herself to stand between the two men. She put one hand on Will’s chest to keep him back and her eyes darted back and forth between the two of them. “That’s enough. The last thing that Spence needs is people arguing at his bedside.”

“Fine. Let’s take this out to the waiting room, then.” Will said firmly. The look he gave Remy told him that this clearly wasn’t a suggestion.

Great. This wasn’t what he wanted to be dealing with right now. He’d really hoped to avoid having to do this. There was no chance of that now, though. He was going to have to deal with Will and with his partner, too, it would seem. There was no telling how quickly this would spread through the rest of the team, either. Remy doubted that any of them were going to react well to this. Sighing, Remy nodded. He looked over to Logan and made a small hand gesture discreetly hidden by his jacket. Logan saw it and nodded. It was a gesture they used in training and out in the field to let each other know that something was okay. It was his way of letting Logan know that he was okay and he could handle this and that he wanted him to stay here with Spencer. Bless his friend, the man understood, and he settled back into his seat once more.

Things just got better and better. When Remy, JJ and Will made it halfway to the waiting room, they found the rest of the BAU team coming in. A quick word from JJ had them all following. Remy led them to the same room that he’d had his mini panic attack in before and he paced over to the far side of the room to stand by the window. It made him feel a little less trapped to be able to place himself near some sort of an exit, even if it was a crappy one. He needed that feeling of security. It was the only thing that helped him to keep his cool when he turned around and found JJ, Will, Aaron, Dave, Emily, and Derek all standing there staring at him. Will looked the most cautious.

Aaron looked from one person to the next, taking in the tension that was so obvious. “What’s going on here?”

“I get the feeling that Will and Remy know each other.” JJ looked over to her partner. “Will?”

But Will didn’t take his eyes off Remy. He crossed his arms over his chest and fixed the Cajun with a hard stare. “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t arrest you right now.”

That definitely put everyone on alert. Remy could actually see it as the agents all snapped over to a much more alert state. Emily even shifted a little so that her gun would be easier to reach. For his part, Remy arched an eyebrow and smirked at Will, pulling on the mask he’d perfected. “Cause de statute of limitations is up on most of what y’ know, an y’ aint got proof on de rest.” His smirk grew just a little. “Y’ can’t arrest me just cause y’ suspect I’ve committed a crime, detective.”

“Will.” JJ cut in once more, but this time she angled herself towards her partner, putting a hand on his arm to draw his attention. “What is this? What’s going on here?”

“Do you realize who that is?” Will asked her. He gestured towards Remy with one hand. “That’s Remy LeBeau, son of Jean Luc LeBeau. His Daddy’s in charge of the biggest group of criminals down that way, the Thieves.” The way he said it clearly capitalized the word Thieves. It let the others know that he didn’t just mean the profession ‘thief’, but that it was the name for them. “An Remy here is their Prince. Or, at least, he was, until his family banished him.”

Remy fought the urge to pull out a cigarette and light it. He doubted that a group of feds would be all that understanding about him sneaking a smoke inside of a hospital. Instead, he settled for hooking his hands in his pockets and rocking back on his heels. “So y’r ready to arrest Remy just cause of who his Papa is?” He made a soft ‘tsk’ sound and shook his head. “Dat aint very nice. I aint done a t’ing wrong here. Dere aint even any warrants out fo’ me. I’m _reformed_.”

That had Will snorting. “I’ll believe that when I see it.”

“Aw, c’mon now, detective.” Remy put on his most charming smile and he shamelessly let some of his actual charm slip into the room around him to try and ease all the tempers here. He needed to get everyone to relax. “We used to be somewhat friendly, _non_? Y’r Papa picked dis boy up more dan once. Even ate dinner at y’r place a time or two.”

Whether it was the charm he was using or a response to the memory, Will did relax a little at that. His lips twitched with a repressed smile. “Yeah, and Daddy usually checked your pockets before you left, too.”

“ _Oui_.” Remy’s own smile grew. Those were some fond memories for him. LaMontagne Sr. had been a good man, one of the few cops down there that was decent, and Remy had honestly enjoyed the man’s company. He’d picked Remy up a few times when he was still young, before Jean Luc had come along. He never took him to the station, though. He’d always take him home and get him cleaned up, offer him some food, even try to help Remy out. Remy just hadn’t been that trusting then and he hadn’t been ready to be ‘helped’ by anyone. He’d been too scared of the price tag attached to that help. “Y’r Papa was a good man. I was sorry to hear about him passing.” He had been, too. He’d liked the man. Remy let the honest emotion seep into his face and he looked right at Will. “I would’ve been dere if I could, but I aint been back. I aint a part of dat life no more, _mon ami_. Y’ really t’ink Spencer would stand for dat?” No need to let him know just how much Spencer actually tolerated. “He’d kick m’ ass if I got in trouble.”

Will’s smile finally broke free and he shook his head. He, as well as the others, were gradually relaxing, and Remy let out just a little more of the charm, trying to soothe them down more. Will unknowingly helped that by asking “How on earth did you and Spencer ever meet? You’re not exactly a likely pair.”

“Oh, I known Spencer fo’ a long time.” Remy said. He leaned back against the wall and cross his ankles. “We met when we was both just little. Spencer was, ah, six, I t’ink. So dat’d make me somewhere round eleven, give or take a bit. Aint real sure about dat. I’d been living wit’ Papa fo’ about a year by den.”

“You’ve known Reid since he was _six_?” Emily asked. She was no longer angled like she was going to reach for her gun. Now a smile spread across her face and she focused eagerly on Remy. “Oh, I’ve got to hear this.”

“Y’ really do, it’s a great story.” Remy told her. “See, I grew up down in N’Awlins, as y’all probably already figured out, even b’fore himself over dere told y’.” He paused just enough for a few chuckles. “I met Spencer when he came down wit’ his Papa. Our Papas had a bit of business to do, see? Somet’ing about some client of William’s. I dunno.” He waved that point off as he always did. That part didn’t matter to him, nor was it something he’d talk about with others. “Anyways, Spencer had slipped free and he was out wandering de streets while his Papa did some work.”

“He was six and he was wandering the streets of New Orleans?” Dave asked with a tone of disgust.

“ _Oui_.” Remy’s tone clearly said he was in agreement with them. “I was doing some errands fo’ m’ Papa when I saw dis petit I didn’t know walking round, an den I saw dat he had dese boys following him. Well, I knew dem and I knew what dey’d do to de po’ chile, so I went to help. Spencer, though, he knew dey was on him an he ducked down into an alley, t’inking to hide behind de dumpster dere. I got dere right as dey yanked him out from de dumpster. _Merde_ , I couldn’t believe m’ eyes!” Remy’s eyes went a little distant as he fell into the memory. He remembered that moment as clear as day. “One of de bigger boys had de scrawny lil kid up by his collar and he was spitting and clawing and fighting like crazy to get free, but he was losing. It just pissed me off more, so I shouted to let him go and went over dere and yanked m’ shades off so dey could see m’ eyes. Sometimes dat was enough to scare de others off.” As if to help make his point, he tipped his sunglasses down and let his eyes sweep the room.

“What happened next?” Derek asked. He, like everyone else, was caught up in the story.

Remy chuckled. “Dey was shocked, of course. Eyes like dat aint exactly normal. Dey was so shocked, dey dropped him. And do y’ t’ink dat Spencer hopped up and ran while de going was good? Oh, no, not him. He hit de ground and bounded right back up and stomped right on de foot of one of dem boys.”

The whole room erupted in laughter. Any of the earlier tension was long gone. They were all caught up in the story that Remy was telling. They were caught up enough that Remy drew his charm back in. He didn’t have to use that anymore. He’d gotten them relaxed enough now.

He grinned at them all, nodding his head at them. “Dat’s right! Don’t let dat sweet face of his fool y’! He’s got a hellion in dere! He stomped right on dat kid’s foot. Course, dat got dem going, an one took a swing at him. I got dere quick enough to block it and I swung back, and de next t’ing y’ know it was an all-out fight. An weren’t it just our luck, de _connards_ had friends nearby dat came out to help. We was getting beat something bad, but we wasn’t giving up.” They’d been fighting like crazy, he remembered, hitting whatever they could hit, knowing they were losing and still going anyways. “Someone yanked Spencer off of de guy he was hitting and Spencer didn’t even slow down. He hopped right back up and jumped up on de kid. He was so caught up, he didn’t notice it when m’ Papa showed up in de alley. He didn’t even notice when all de other kids ran. When Papa went over dere, he grabbed de only part of Spencer he could get, his collar, an he hauled him up off de kid. An Spencer…” Remy’s grin suddenly flashed wide and bright. “…he twisted and punched _mon père_ right in his face.”

The laughter that echoed around the room this time was loud and long, full of good humor. There were a few shocked exclamations and even a cheer from Derek. Remy just rode it all out, grinning, and waited for a lull before finishing off his story. “Y’ should’ve seen his face. Once he realized what he’d done, he froze like he’d turned to stone. Papa just looked at him fo’ a minute an den threw his head back and started to laugh. Then he set Spencer down and he squatted down in front of him and he told him dat he was Jean Luc LeBeau and asked who he was. When Spencer told him, we realized dat he was de kid of de _homme_ dat was doing business wit’ Papa.”

“What’d your dad do?” JJ asked.

“He picked Spencer up an put him on his hip an he carried him back home. I followed dem. Papa took Spencer straight to William an, still holding him, he told him dat it was unacceptable fo’ him to let Spencer to run around all by himself and dat, from den on, I was going to escort him. Den he told William dat he liked Spencer cause he had spunk.” He’d doted on Spencer, Jean Luc had. He’d really enjoyed spending his time with the brilliant young kid and so had Remy. “We been the best of friends ever since den. We be…” A very familiar sensation brushed against the edge of Remy’s mental shields just then, cutting him off mid word. He froze and his focus turned inward. Could it be? Was it? It was so light he wasn’t quite sure. He didn’t even notice that everyone was now staring at him with worry. All of his attention was focused on that sensation.

The sensation came again, just a little stronger yet still a feather light touch, and he knew just what it was. Every shield that Remy wore fell away and the whole room could see as he just lit up with a love that was undeniable. Remy’s grin stretched wide on his face. “Spencer's waking up!” With that announcement, he raced from the room.


End file.
